Dr. Frasier couldn’t save the gunshot victim on her front lawn. Now she’s fighting for her own life.
It began as a quiet dinner party honoring Dr. Shannon Frasier’s colleague, but became a nightmare when a man was shot on her lawn, reviving emotions from a similar episode a decade ago. Then a midnight call from her sister, Megan, causes Shannon to fear that her sister is on drugs again.
Her “almost-fiancé” Dr. Mark Gilbert’s support only adds to Shannon’s feelings of guilt, since she can’t bring herself to fully commit to him. She turns for help to her pastor-father, only to learn that he’s just been diagnosed with leukemia.
Shannon thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then the late-night, threatening phone calls begin, the rough voice asking, “What did he say before he died?”
With everything around her in a critical state, simply staying alive will require all the resources and focus Shannon has.
Learn more and purchase a copy at Richard’s website.
A retired physician, Dr. Richard Mabry is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels of medical suspense. His previous works have been finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times Reader’s Choice Award, and have won the Selah Award. He is a past Vice-President of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the International Thriller Writers. He and his wife live in North Texas.
Critical Condition by Richard L. Mabry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was rather excited to begin this book as it was supposed to be very exciting. And for the most part, it was. The story was intriguing, and there was a mystery attached to it. The author included plenty of suspense and some uncertainty here and there. I struggled to connect with the characters, but that was just me. The author is a fairly good writer, and the book was a quick read.
Unfortunately, this book became quite a struggle for me. It is supposed to be a Christian book. I am pleased to report that there is no sex nor profanity. The Christian gospel is essentially lost within the book, but that is not the major problem. Hypnosis is something that I do not believe Christians should ever investigate or participate in. One of the characters does, and she is never reprimanded by the man who is supposed to be a strong Christian. This disturbed me and caused me to develop quite a distaste for the book. Had it not been a Christian book, I would have had an easier time accepting this.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
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3 Comments
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My pleasure, Ruth. Writing to please everyone is a sure recipe for pleasing none of our readers…but we try, anyway. I do hope you’ll read another of my other novels. And thanks for your review.
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Ruth, I appreciate your frank review. The character in the book has deep psychological problems, and initially turns down hypnosis as an avenue. Later, she is taught a technique that allows her to open an area of her memory she has blocked.
I realize that the Bible, primarily the Old Testament, cautions against wizardry, such as was practiced by the Witch of Endor, but what is shown in the book is not witchcraft, but a recognized medical and psychological entity.
As for the Christian message, Critical Condition deals with a psychological problem manifested in a character whose faith had faltered. She is constantly shored up by the male lead, whose faith remains strong. One need only look at the next to last chapter of the book to see this. Although there are no conversion scenes, the book portrays what can happen to real people of faith in real situations. I’m sorry it didn’t meet your expectations.-
Author
Richard, thank you for explaining your thought processes. I do tend to be much more critical of Christian fiction andhold it to a higher standard. I am actually glad you stopped by–often authors do not stop by ehen the review is critical. Thanks for not being offended, and know that it is nothing personal. I would certainly be willing to read another book by you at a later time.
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